Page 69 of Unleashed

I head for my bathroom, planning to take a quick shower before we leave. As much as I don’t want to wash her off my skin, I haven’t cleaned up since yesterday and I don’t want to smell worse than the animals Zara’s petting today. “Why not?”

Maren sits up, looking from one side of the bed to the other. “Because you just can’t.” She debates a second more before sliding off the edge closest to the door, grabbing her shirt and bra as she heads for the water closet. “I don’t want Zara to get any wrong ideas.”

Leaning into the shower stall, I twist on the water. “And what sort of wrong ideas would that be?”

I learned a long time ago not to ask questions I don’t already know the answers to, so I don’t think I’m going to be surprised by any of Maren’s reasons.

Maren’s voice carries through the gap in the partially closed door. “I don’t want her to think you’re always going to be around.”

Well… Fuck. I didn’t see that coming.

And that means I don’t have an easy reply ready. All I have is the truth, and I know Maren isn’t ready to hear that. Not any more than I’m willing to say it.

Because I’ve already decided I’m not going anywhere. I may not be able to give Maren everything, but I can give her some things. Stability. Security. Safety. I know ultimately that won’t be enough, but I guess that’s a bridge I’ll cross when I have to.

Today isn’t that day.

Turning away from the running shower, I angle a brow as she reappears. “Are you already planning ways to get rid of me?”

“I’ve been planning ways to get rid of you, Trevor.” Maren huffs out a breath that could be a frustrated sigh if it didn’t sound amused. “You’re too freaking stubborn for any of them to work.”

My eyes stay glued to her tits as she straps her bra into place, savoring the view until it becomes obstructed. “I didn’t expect you to give up so easily.”

Maren shoots me a glare before her head disappears under the fabric of her sweater. “No one said I’m giving up.” She tugs the garment into place, shoving both arms into the sleeves. “So don’t get your hopes up.”

She clearly doesn’t have any clue what my hopes are, because hearing she intends to continue giving me hell satisfies me on a level that should probably be dissected during therapy.

Talking to someone about the shit that goes through my head has never been a serious consideration for me. While I’m happy it’s working well for my brothers, I really don’t have time for it. But it would be interesting to know a little more about why I am the way I am. It might even make me better at my job. Could help the success of the company in a roundabout sort of way.

“Don’t tell me what to do.” I back toward the shower, looking over the bare skin still on display in front of me. “I don’t like being bossed around.”

Maren’s lips curve in a hint of a smile as she goes to retrieve her jeans and panties. “That is the biggest lie I’ve ever heard.”

I ogle the curve of her ass as she bends over, before finally forcing myself into the shower, squeezing shampoo into my hand. “Maybe I like being selectively bossed around.”

Probably another thing Bert, my brothers’ therapist, would love to dissect.

I wait for Maren’s snarky retort as I quickly scrub my hair, but it doesn’t come. She must have gotten dressed and rushed downstairs to check on Zara, which is probably for the best.

But I can’t ignore how much I liked having her in here to talk to while I got ready. It’s the sort of normal activity I’ve never been able to participate in, and getting to experience it—even if it’s a temporary sort of thing—was really fucking nice.

I rush to rinse the shampoo out of my hair, barely getting the suds clear before grabbing my body wash. I want to get downstairs with everyone else as quickly as possible. Even if it means skipping my skincare routine.

I’ve got my upper half covered in lather when Maren comes running into the bathroom. She steps right into the shower, holding my phone up in front of my face before snapping the screen away so quickly I can’t tell what she’s trying to show me.

Then I realize she wasn’t trying to show me anything. She was unlocking it.

Her eyes fuse to the device, skin pale as she stares.

“What’s wrong?” I quickly swipe a washcloth over the remaining high points, before mostly rinsing off. I’ve got a pretty good idea what she’s looking at, and I’d rather not explain it soaking wet and naked.

Grabbing a towel, I sling it around my middle. “It’s not what you’re thinking. I was just trying to⁠—”

Maren’s eyes come to my face, rage pooling in their depths. “Someone just broke into my house.”

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Trevor